Pérez's recount push divides Democrats

Some say Pérez's tactic could hurt his own party

Carla Marinucci

Updated 7:18 am, Saturday, July 12, 2014

Assemblyman John Pérez's unprecedented recount request in the state controller's race has kicked off a debate about whether he's hurting Democratic chances in November and endangering his own political future - even if his challenge succeeds.

State Democratic Party Chairman John Burton suggested that the recount, which began Friday at Pérez-selected precincts in Imperial and Kern counties, should not drag on interminably. This is California's first-ever recount in a race for statewide office, and there's no telling how long it will go on.

"Would I wish that there was no recount? Yes," Burton said. "Do you blame a guy for taking a shot? That's what people do."

But, he added, "John is a young guy with a political future ... and I don't think he's going to thwart that for the controller's job."

The issue arose after the 44-year-old Pérez, a former Assembly speaker from Los Angeles, ended up in third place in the June 3 primary behind first-place finisher Ashley Swearengin, the Republican mayor of Fresno, and 481 votes behind fellow Democrat Betty Yee of San Francisco. Under the state's top-two primary system, that would put Yee, a member of the state Board of Equalization, into the general election contest against Swearengin.

With no provision in California law for an automatic statewide recount in close races - and with candidates able to select the counties for re-tallying as long as they pay for them - Pérez announced his intention to have ballots recounted in just 15 of the state's 58 counties. All 15 were counties that Pérez won June 3.

"It's Gore v. Bush," said Democratic strategist Garry South, referring to the 2000 presidential election in which the two campaigns battled over the scope of a Florida recount. "The practical argument is that you can't allow letting someone on the ballot by picking and choosing where to do the recount."

Douglas Herman, a strategist for Pérez, said the former speaker was simply trying to ensure that the candidate who actually finished second in the primary appears on the November ballot. Lacking a state law mandating a full count, or providing for its cost, "we're forced to count the votes in the counties where we believe there's the best opportunity for the vote results to change," he said.

'An exercise in ego'

South said whichever Democrat ends up on the Nov. 4 ballot can defeat Swearengin, but that Pérez risks being seen as stealing the election from Yee, who is popular with the Democrats' progressive wing.

"This is an exercise in ego, and the reality is that if John Pérez had put up a modicum of effort to run this race, which he didn't ... he would have beaten Betty Yee," said South, who was not connected to either candidate. "He thought he could take her out with a so-so (TV) spot, and he's trying to make up for lack of effort by throwing a monkey wrench in the process."

South noted speculation that Pérez is considering a future run for Los Angeles City Council. The question, South said, is: "How much does he want to fritter away on a fruitless recount effort when he could run in 2015?"

South added, "He's not hurting the Democratic prospects in the fall - he's only hurting himself."

Other Democrats are less confident that a prolonged recount would leave the party's candidate in good shape to compete against Swearengin, who was already viewed as one of the Republicans' few strong statewide candidates.

'Call it off'

In an open letter to Pérez published in the LA Progressive newspaper, two Democratic activists urged Pérez to "call it off and support fellow Democrat Betty Yee."

"It concerns us that instead of looking at the party's best interest and giving his fellow Democrat his immediate support for her fall runoff against a Republican, he is demanding a recount," wrote Lori Vandermeir, head of the Orange County chapter of the National Organization for Women, and Ron Andrade, director of the American Indian commission in Los Angeles.

Republican analyst Tony Quinn, who publishes the California Target Book, which studies state races, said Pérez could be viewed as damaged goods even if he finds the 482 votes that would put him ahead of Yee.

Tactic 'questionable'

"He would be tainted," Quinn said, and vulnerable to charges that he engineered a victory through questionable political maneuvering.

Quinn cited reports that Pérez has selected heavily Latino precincts for recounts, and said such a strategy "pits economic and ethnic groups against each other."

Both Quinn and South said the courts could well throw out any partial recount that changed the primary results.

"I don't think the legal system would allow him to be put on the ballot short of a full recount of the whole state," Quinn said. And given the cost and the looming deadline for printing ballots for the November election, Quinn added, "that's virtually impossible."

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